BBF Private Access

Get closer to the people shaping the future of beauty.

Black Beauty Founders Private Access is an application-only ecosystem connecting ambitious Black beauty founders with the executives, founders, retailers, investors, media, and strategic partners who help businesses grow.

This isn’t another networking group. It’s where meaningful relationships, industry visibility, and new opportunities begin.

100 Seats  ·  Application Only
Enrollment Opens August 1 Apply for Private Access → Membership is intentionally limited to maintain a high-quality ecosystem
100 Seats Available
$147 Per Month
24 Hour Application Window
Tisha Thompson, founder of LYS Beauty, BBF Cover Vol. 3

Tisha Thompson  ·  LYS Beauty  ·  BBF Cover Vol. 3

The Access Problem

Most founders don’t have a product problem.
They have an access problem.

Behind nearly every breakthrough is a relationship that opened a door.

Black Beauty Founders Private Access was built to bring ambitious founders closer to the people, conversations, and opportunities that can change the trajectory of their business.

The Room You’re Applying To Join

You’re joining an ecosystem built through relationships with some of the most respected leaders across beauty, retail, media, and business.

Recognized Across Beauty and Business

From ESSENCE to Forbes, GLAMOUR, EBONY, Yahoo! Life, TODAY, and beyond.

Black Beauty Founders has become a trusted voice in conversations shaping the future of beauty.

Forbes media featureForbesFounder profile
GLAMOUR media featureGLAMOURBlack Beauty Founders
EBONY media featureEBONYReshaping the industry
Yahoo! Life media featureYahoo! LifeBeauty expertise
TODAY media featureTODAYNational television
ELLE Australia media featureELLE AustraliaA voice shaping Black beauty
EBONY media featureEBONYBeauty powerhouse collectives
Beauty Independent media featureBeauty IndependentIndustry perspective
Forbes media featureForbesFounder profile
GLAMOUR media featureGLAMOURBlack Beauty Founders
EBONY media featureEBONYReshaping the industry
Yahoo! Life media featureYahoo! LifeBeauty expertise
TODAY media featureTODAYNational television
ELLE Australia media featureELLE AustraliaA voice shaping Black beauty
EBONY media featureEBONYBeauty powerhouse collectives
Beauty Independent media featureBeauty IndependentIndustry perspective
The Caliber of Conversation

Gain direct access to people shaping beauty.

Members hear directly from executives, journalists, commerce leaders, casting professionals, accomplished founders, and operators across beauty.

Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Essence, Glamour, NielsenIQ, Beauty Independent, Amazon, TikTok, Whatnot, GMA Deals & Steals, Citi, Condor Equity
Retail Buyers
Beauty Editors
Publicists
Successful Founders
The Forbes Record

Black Beauty Founders Created These Forbes Opportunities

Black Beauty Founders developed the strategy, shaped the narratives, pitched the founders, and secured these editorial opportunities. The result was national visibility for Janell Stephens, Monique Rodriguez, Mahisha Dellinger, Jesseca Harris-Dupart, Robyn Atwater, Raynell “Supa Cent” Steward, and others.

Janell Stephens in ForbesJanell StephensCamille Rose
Monique Rodriguez in ForbesMonique RodriguezMielle Organics
Mahisha Dellinger in ForbesMahisha DellingerCurls
Jesseca Harris-Dupart in ForbesJesseca Harris-DupartKaleidoscope Hair
Robyn Atwater in ForbesRobyn AtwaterCurl Daze
Raynell Steward in ForbesRaynell StewardThe Crayon Case
Janell Stephens in ForbesJanell StephensCamille Rose
Monique Rodriguez in ForbesMonique RodriguezMielle Organics
Mahisha Dellinger in ForbesMahisha DellingerCurls
Jesseca Harris-Dupart in ForbesJesseca Harris-DupartKaleidoscope Hair
Robyn Atwater in ForbesRobyn AtwaterCurl Daze
Raynell Steward in ForbesRaynell StewardThe Crayon Case
The Cover Series

The Business Behind Beauty

Every month, BBF puts a founder on the cover and tells the business story behind the brand. These are the women the industry is reading about.

Cynthia Bailey, BBF Cover Vol. 1 Cynthia BaileyVol. 1 · Dec 2025
Shaina Rainford, BBF Cover Vol. 2 Shaina RainfordVol. 2 · Jan 2026
Tisha Thompson, BBF Cover Vol. 3 Tisha ThompsonVol. 3 · Feb 2026
Shontay Lundy, BBF Cover Vol. 4 Shontay LundyVol. 4 · Mar 2026
Stormi Steele, BBF Cover Vol. 5 Stormi SteeleVol. 5 · Apr 2026
Tia Mowry, BBF Cover Vol. 6 Tia MowryVol. 6 · May 2026
Why Black Beauty Founders Exists

The beauty industry was not built to make finding the right people easy.

Black beauty founders have had to piece together relationships, industry knowledge, and visibility on their own, often at the exact stage where one wrong decision costs the most.

Black Beauty Founders brings those pieces together in one trusted place built specifically for beauty founders who are serious about building companies that last.

Everything Included

What Membership Unlocks

Membership is designed to help founders build the relationships, visibility, and industry knowledge needed to grow with confidence.

Executive Access

Gain direct access to founders, Fortune 500 executives, retailers, investors, journalists, and industry leaders through exclusive member experiences.

Strategic Relationships

Build meaningful connections that can lead to introductions, partnerships, collaborations, and long-term business growth.

Visibility

Increase your brand’s exposure through editorial opportunities, founder features, speaking opportunities, and one of the largest platforms dedicated to Black beauty founders.

Industry Intelligence

Stay informed with executive conversations, emerging trends, consumer insights, and member-only programming designed to help you make smarter business decisions.

Real Relationships

Become part of a room of founders who understand the journey, celebrate your wins, and create opportunities together.

Programming Includes

Media, Visibility & Influence

  • Commerce editor strategy
  • Affiliate marketing education
  • Podcast pitch strategy
  • Television booking conversations
  • Casting conversations with business and television professionals
  • Panel and speaking opportunity strategy
  • Editorial positioning and thought leadership
  • Media Opportunity Intelligence

Beauty Business Growth

  • BBF Beauty Growth Academy
  • Retail readiness and go-to-market strategy
  • Pricing, profitability, and launch planning
  • Product, marketing, and creator partnership strategy
  • Beauty Founder Playbook Library
  • Monthly Founder Office Hours
  • Beauty trend and opportunity briefings
  • Executive fireside chats and roundtables
Apply for Private Access 100 seats · Applications open August 1
Olivia Hancock, Senior Beauty Editor, Byrdie · Founder, The Hue Report
Olivia Hancock Senior Beauty Editor, Byrdie · Founder, The Hue Report AS TOLD EXCLUSIVELY TO BLACK BEAUTY FOUNDERS
Inside BBF Private Access

Four pillars. One private industry membership.

The membership is organized around the four areas ambitious beauty founders need most: industry perspective, business growth, visibility, and timely intelligence.

01

Industry Access

  • Executive Fireside Chats
  • Beauty Executive Roundtables
  • Retail Perspectives
  • Journalist Conversations
  • Corporate Conversations
02

Brand Growth

  • BBF Beauty Growth Academy
  • Beauty Founder Playbook Library
  • Monthly Founder Office Hours with Danika Berry
  • BBF Strategy Sessions
  • National Media and Commerce Strategy
03

Visibility

  • Editorial Opportunities
  • Media Opportunity Intelligence
  • Founder Spotlights
  • Press and Commerce Editor Strategy
  • Early Access to BBF Editorial Features
04

Industry Intelligence

  • The BBF State of Black Beauty Report
  • Beauty Trend Reports
  • Retail Intelligence
  • Monthly Opportunity Briefings
  • Live Shopping and Social Commerce Strategy
Apply for Private Access$147 per month · Everything included · Application only
Jasmine Browley, Beauty Journalist, Forbes
Jasmine Browley Beauty Journalist, Forbes AS TOLD EXCLUSIVELY TO BLACK BEAUTY FOUNDERS
What Changes With Private Access

Less guessing. More context. Better decisions.

Before BBF

  • Building without beauty-specific industry context
  • Guessing who to contact and how to approach them
  • Learning through expensive trial and error
  • Missing media, commerce, speaking, and retail opportunities
  • Feeling disconnected from the conversations shaping beauty

With BBF Private Access

  • Understand how beauty businesses and editorial opportunities are built
  • Gain direct access to the professionals making decisions
  • Position your brand for media, commerce, podcasts, television, and panels
  • Make strategic decisions with stronger industry perspective
  • Grow with a clearer view of where beauty is going
Apply for Private Access
Designed With Intention

The relationships you build today can shape the opportunities you have tomorrow.

They’re designed with one goal in mind: helping founders build businesses that last.

Tisha Thompson, Founder, LYS Beauty
Tisha Thompson Founder, LYS Beauty AS TOLD EXCLUSIVELY TO BLACK BEAUTY FOUNDERS
Samantha Dorisca, Journalist at AFROTECH, as told to Black Beauty Founders
Samantha Dorisca Journalist, AFROTECH AS TOLD EXCLUSIVELY TO BLACK BEAUTY FOUNDERS
Industry Authority

Beauty Independent called on Black Beauty Founders for perspective on Henkel’s $1.4 billion acquisition of Olaplex.

The feature reflects the level of industry perspective that informs BBF Private Access.

Danika Berry quoted in Beauty Independent Read the full article in Beauty Independent →

That same perspective now supports founders through executive conversations, strategic resources, media intelligence, and beauty-specific guidance.

Membership Is Designed For

Founders serious about building enduring beauty brands.

BBF Private Access is designed for ambitious Black beauty founders in growth mode who value strategy, context, and meaningful industry relationships.

Built by Beauty.
Built for Beauty.

A private industry membership created specifically for Black beauty founders.

The Middle

The Founder Gap

There is no shortage of help for a brand on day one. There is a whole industry waiting for a brand doing eight figures. In between, you are expected to figure it out on your own — at the exact stage where guessing wrong costs the most.

The hardest place to be is in the middle.

Too far along for beginner advice. Not yet large enough to have an executive team opening doors for you. That is exactly where BBF Private Access was built to help.

Shontay Lundy, Founder of Black Girl Sunscreen, as told to Black Beauty Founders

Shontay Lundy  ·  Black Girl SunscreenAs Told to Black Beauty Founders

The Moment

Why Now?

The beauty industry is evolving faster than ever. The founders who stay connected will move faster than those navigating it alone.

Retail

Expectations are rising. The bar for getting on shelf has never been higher.

Commerce

Live shopping, affiliate models, and social commerce are reshaping how brands sell.

Media

Coverage is harder to earn. The brands getting press have relationships, not just products.

Affiliate Marketing

Strategies from two years ago are already outdated. The ecosystem keeps you current.

Isan Elba, Founder of Beauty Access and Beauty Forward, as told to Black Beauty Founders
Isan Elba Founder, Beauty Access & Beauty Forward AS TOLD EXCLUSIVELY TO BLACK BEAUTY FOUNDERS
Built by Beauty. Built for Beauty.

Nothing generic. Everything speaks beauty.

Resources

Created specifically for founders building beauty brands.

Conversations

Grounded in the realities of beauty retail, media, commerce, and growth.

Editorial

Designed around the stories, positioning, and visibility beauty founders need.

Relationships

Built around a shared understanding of this industry, not broad entrepreneurship.

The Platform

There is an entire world inside BBF.

Editorial features. Industry news. Founder spotlights. Cover stories. Intelligence reports. BBF is the media platform the beauty industry reads.

Explore blackbeautyfounders.org →
“Danika Berry is building a collective that centers Black women with cultural power and economic impact.”
EBONY Magazine
What BBF Private Access Is Not

You do not need another group where everyone is selling to you.

BBF Private Access is a private industry membership for founders who want to learn, think strategically, and build stronger beauty businesses.

Why Founders Apply

They want relationships that lead somewhere.

Private Access exists to make those connections possible.

Investment

One seat.
Everything included.

Membership is $147 per month. It includes exclusive programming, executive conversations, editorial opportunities, leadership experiences, strategic introductions, and access to a growing ecosystem of founders and industry leaders.

Founders routinely invest thousands of dollars in conferences, consultants, and advisors. BBF Private Access brings that level of industry context and strategic guidance together for $147 per month.

$147 per month · cancel anytime · no long-term commitment Apply for Private Access →

Application required. Applications open August 1 for 24 hours. Selected founders will receive an invitation to complete enrollment.

The Application

Your next opportunity could begin with one application.

Membership is intentionally limited to maintain a high-quality ecosystem where founders actively participate, build meaningful relationships, and create value for one another.

If you’re ready to surround yourself with ambitious founders and the leaders shaping beauty’s future, we’d love to learn more about you.

Apply for Private Access
Your Questions, Answered

Everything you need to know.

Who is Private Access designed for?

Private Access is designed for ambitious Black beauty founders who are serious about growing their business through relationships, education, visibility, and strategic opportunities. Whether you’re preparing for retail, growing direct-to-consumer sales, raising capital, or expanding your network, this ecosystem was built with you in mind.

How is this different from a course or program?

This is not a course or a generic online group. It is an ongoing private industry membership with live conversations, strategic resources, founder office hours, and beauty-specific intelligence.

When does the application window open?

Applications open August 1 for 24 hours. After the window closes, applications are reviewed and selected founders receive an invitation to complete enrollment.

Why only 100 seats?

The membership is intentionally capped at 100 seats so programming can remain focused, relevant, and high quality.

Can I cancel?

Yes. BBF Private Access is month-to-month. You can cancel at any time. If you do, your seat will be offered to the next founder on the waitlist. Once filled, re-entry is not guaranteed.

A Letter From Our Founder

Danika Berry

When I created Black Beauty Founders, I wasn’t trying to build another membership. I wanted to create the kind of access I wished existed when I began my own journey in beauty.

After more than two decades in public relations and brand strategy, I saw firsthand how often opportunities begin with one conversation, one relationship, or one introduction. Some of the biggest moments in my career didn’t happen because I knew everything. They happened because I knew the right people, asked the right questions, and stayed close to the conversations shaping the industry.

Black Beauty Founders Private Access was built so more founders could experience those same opportunities. This ecosystem isn’t about collecting members. It’s about creating meaningful relationships that help founders grow stronger businesses, make smarter decisions, and build lasting careers.

If that sounds like the kind of room you’ve been looking for, I’d love to welcome you.

Danika Berry

Founder, Black Beauty Founders

Industry Record
20+Years in Beauty
2,000+Founders Connected
200K+Consumer Reach
NationalMedia Recognition

FORBES
ESSENCE
GLAMOUR
ELLE
EBONY
BEAUTY INDEPENDENT
BLACK ENTERPRISE
& MORE

Your seat isn’t guaranteed.

Because membership is application-only, every application is reviewed to help preserve the quality of the ecosystem and ensure members are committed to participating.

If you’re ready to build meaningful relationships, gain industry access, and grow alongside founders and executives shaping the future of beauty…

Apply for Private Access → Application only · 100 seatsApplications open August 1

Applications open August 1.
For 24 hours.

This application window is limited to founders interested in one of 100 seats. When the window closes, applications close.

Apply for Private Access →